COMFORTABLE, HOMELY AND EFFICIENT

If you are lucky, you get to a point where you get to think about your next house and how you can make it as comfortable as possible to live in.

As someone who has taken an old home and renovated it to become as energy efficient as possible, the implementation of Victoria’s mandatory 7-star ratings to all new builds from May 1, 2024 is something that we can strive for (page 22).

No matter how hard myself and the beloved have tried, our current home will never get up to those standards.

Oh well, if our home never meets these standards, I might as well move on and just make it look and feel as cosy as possible.

That’s where Lisa Cox from I Want I Need styling hints come in handy with the current trends in natural textures and earthy tones suiting many homes.

Editor’s pick focuses on things we all need to make a smaller impact, cutting back on the amount of cleaning products we use, as well as a lunch bag to reuse and reuse again, that is not just functional, but also looks funky.

As an avid gardener, the stroll around someone else’s patch is my idea of a good time.

It was great to spend time with Sherril and Sam Francis in their garden 36 years in the making (page 18).

Together they have made a lovely tranquil space, with many garden rooms and colourful plants.

Now, I am going to share a little secret with you all.

The days one doesn’t search out ideas to share for

Our Home, this journalist cooks, having been a chef in a previous career.

So, to me, nothing is better than wandering around the farmers’ market seeking out local produce then thinking about what you can cook with it, which is how we happen upon cooking with avocado (page 17).

For many of us, making our homes as comfortable, homely and efficient as possible is something we all strive for, and we all hope that the ideas in Our Home will help you do just that